Sony President Says Xbox 360 Lacks "Longevity"

[Anton P. Nym]

When you're asked why your product is the best, and your major pitch is that your competition either sucks or isn't really your competition, one naturally wonders at your confidence in your product.

"Don't buy a Big Mac, that'll give you food poisoning. Buy a Whopper instead because, here at Burger King, we don't want to kill you. Oh, and Wendy's? They don't count."

Boy, that'd sure get my dollar.

-- Steve

 

[Simriel]

Well for the 360 console itself, his statement is absolutly 100% true, in my case and all my friends who onw 360's as well, they have all had the red ring of death!

Oh my... you appear to have caught the stick by the wrong end... He means the longevity of the technology, as opposed to specific consoles. Also i know about 30 people with 360s and not a single one has had RROD

 

[Simriel]

Not a fanboy btw, jsut pointing out that his arguament can be used either way, if only based on those you know

 

[SaintWaldo]

"...[the PS3] may in fact be the best value for a complete home entertainment package, but at this point very few people seem to care."

And exactly how much responsibility for this impression does the gaming press itself need to own up to and bear?

 

[SaintWaldo]

While I'm sure the PS3 is a good machine, this almost constant sniping of Sony is getting boring.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

While I'm sure the PS3 is a good machine, this almost constant sniping from Sony is getting boring.

Remember how this was in the context of an interview with OPM? He was asked for his opinion of the competition, and he gave it.

Which is fine. It's not so much what he said, it's the way he said it. I just think that Sony would do better trying to sell the PS3 on its own strengths, rather than on its rival's weaknesses.

So you'd prefer if he said that "The Ps3 offers a consistent strength that we think can remain alive for a period of time on par with the Ps2".

Yes. I would seem less petty. I'll be honest, it puts me off getting a PS3 a little bit, which is ridiculous as it's a decent machine.

While I'm sure the PS3 is a good machine, this almost constant sniping of Sony is getting boring.

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, don't do that please.

 

[Zer_]

Will Sony just shut up already?

 

[SaintWaldo]

Will Sony just shut up already?

They should shut up during an interview?

 

[SaintWaldo]

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, don't do that please.

Yeah, don't say Sony is sniping when they were asked a direct question about the competition, please. I'll do yours if you do mine.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

While I'm sure the PS3 is a good machine, this almost constant sniping from Sony is getting boring.

Remember how this was in the context of an interview with OPM? He was asked for his opinion of the competition, and he gave it.

Which is fine. It's not so much what he said, it's the way he said it. I just think that Sony would do better trying to sell the PS3 on its own strengths, rather than on its rival's weaknesses.

So you'd prefer if he said that "The Ps3 offers a consistent strength that we think can remain alive for a period of time on par with the Ps2".

Yes. I would seem less petty. I'll be honest, it puts me off getting a PS3 a little bit, which is ridiculous as it's a decent machine.

In the context, that would be avoiding the damn question.

"How do you feel about your competition?"

"We feel our product has enough strength to allow it to remain as a current and powerful player for 10 years"

"...that didn't answer my question"

Seriously, he was asked about his competition, he talked about his competition - what's the problem?

Come on, he's the head of Sony, talking to OPM. They7'd have just changed the question. He could have talked about unicorn eggs and they'd have changed their questions to make it seem like they brought it up. ;P

Seriously though, if he had said, "I'm not sure the 360 has the longevity to compete in the long term" that would have been fine, but the "last time I checked" and "You do the math" is schoolyard stuff. In my opinion, Sony's upper management really aren't doing the company any favours.

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, don't do that please.

Yeah, don't say Sony is sniping when they were asked a direct question about the competition, please. I'll do yours if you do mine.

By 'yours' I assume you mean 'taking everything in isolation and ignoring any relevant context'? Besides, like I said to Indigo, even when taken in isolation, that is a really childish comment.

EDIT: I do wonder whether he was speaking through a translator though...

 

[SaintWaldo]

EDIT: I do wonder whether he was speaking through a translator though...

You say that our comments should have total context, but when Kaz is talking about his own company, he must speak in isolation, ignoring the relevant context of how they might be officially responding to their current position in the market?

And, the source of the question may be friendly, but given the numbers on the ground, it's actually pretty bold to even broach the subject. You'd rather they kept their customers in the dark to any information about their stance and attitude to the larger market? They should just lay down and let all the stories about xmas sales cement some false narrative about inevitability?

I don't agree with the underlying premise I intuit from your arguments. If I'm wrong, lets do keep discussing it.

 

[Jumplion]

Oy yoy yoy, Sony Sony Sony, will you ever shut up? I mean, I may love ya, but you do run your mouth alot.

If there is one thing I can credit them for in this interview, it's this part;

As for the Nintendo Sony line [http://www.wii.com] that it's not actually competition at all. "It's difficult to talk about Nintendo because we don't look at their console as being competitors," he said. "They're a different world and we operate in our world - that's kind of the way I look at things."

I nervously clap for Kazzy here, as finally people get that Nintendo is doing their own thing and Sony/MS are doing their own thing.

 

[Gormers1]

Well at least xbots dont have to wait for promises and gets to have fun NOW, and not at some point in the future. (well they have finally got great games for the ps3, but it took some time, home isnt even out yet).

 

[Aries_Split]

Well at least xbots dont have to wait for promises and gets to have fun NOW, and not at some point in the future).

This is why the 360 is, to me, better than the PS3.

Sorry Kazzy, but "It'll get better! TRUST US! DONT LEAVE ME!!"

Get's old after the tenth time.

 

[AceDiamond]

EDIT: I do wonder whether he was speaking through a translator though...

You say that our comments should have total context, but when Kaz is talking about his own company, he must speak in isolation, ignoring the relevant context of how they might be officially responding to their current position in the market?

And, the source of the question may be friendly, but given the numbers on the ground, it's actually pretty bold to even broach the subject. You'd rather they kept their customers in the dark to any information about their stance and attitude to the larger market? They should just lay down and let all the stories about xmas sales cement some false narrative about inevitability?

I don't agree with the underlying premise I intuit from your arguments. If I'm wrong, lets do keep discussing it.

Yeah it's all the fault of that filthy liberal media!

wait what?

 

[Jumplion]

Well at least xbots dont have to wait for promises and gets to have fun NOW, and not at some point in the future. (well they have finally got great games for the ps3, but it took some time, home isnt even out yet).

Wait, what? I can't recall that many games, let alone good games, on the 360s launch either. While I agree, the Ps3 had a shortage of games when it came out, it's nothing new in the "consul warz".

It take about a year or two for the momentum to get going, some bloom earlier than others I guess.

EDIT: though, god damnit, I may have missed the point again. Yeesh, I need better glasses or something. And HOME is out, just FYI, unless you're in a country that doesn't have it yet for some reason.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

EDIT: I do wonder whether he was speaking through a translator though...

You say that our comments should have total context, but when Kaz is talking about his own company, he must speak in isolation, ignoring the relevant context of how they might be officially responding to their current position in the market?

And, the source of the question may be friendly, but given the numbers on the ground, it's actually pretty bold to even broach the subject. You'd rather they kept their customers in the dark to any information about their stance and attitude to the larger market? They should just lay down and let all the stories about xmas sales cement some false narrative about inevitability?

I don't agree with the underlying premise I intuit from your arguments. If I'm wrong, lets do keep discussing it.

You've completely misunderstood what I've said. In the very same post that you've quoted, I explained my position on this particular comment from Mr Hirai.

When I talk about context, I mean other recent comments from Sony, such as this chart [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.82948]. Their entire marketing strategy at the moment seems to be focused on the shortcomings of their competitors, rather than the strengths of their own products. It's a subtle difference admittedly, but it's there.

 

[Kellerb]

not biased or anything...honestly, its just thinly veiled words to make the 360 look bad.